News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

Washington’s best workplaces revealed Puget Sound Business Journal
To find the best workplaces, starting in March, the Puget Sound Business Journal asked readers to nominate their own company, or others. Employees were then asked to fill out a survey, done by Quantum workplace, a leading research company in designing tools to measure and manage employee engagement. Companies scoring the highest marks were named among Washington’s Best Workplaces.

Paul Allen starts small business lending firm Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen has started an investment firm that will pour money into small businesses. Ascentium Capital, of Kingwood, Texas, will address “the important but underserved market for small-balance commercial loans and leases in the United States,” according to a news release. Allen’s Vulcan Capital investment arm is backing the new firm.

Amazing new cancer treatment coming to Seattle Seattle PI
A revolutionary new treatment that’s shown amazing results in trials against leukemia is being called the biggest breakthrough in cancer research in decades. Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania took blood from a leukemia patient, removed the T-cells, and then introduced a harmless, modified form of HIV. The treatment has been used on three patients with a specific kind of leukemia. Two are now cancer-free, and the third is in remission. With those amazing results in one tiny trial, researchers at Children’s Research Institute in Seattle will start local testing.

As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day. Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digesthere.